


in the stars, embracing

by mlraven



Category: Dark Matter (TV)
Genre: Canonical major character death, F/F, Feelings, Femslash Festivus, First Kiss, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Getting Together, Misses Clause Challenge, Oblique Star Trek references
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-24
Updated: 2017-12-24
Packaged: 2019-02-01 14:21:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,478
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12706746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mlraven/pseuds/mlraven
Summary: Two isn’t sure where she gets the idea, but one day she sits down in front of her terminal and turns on the camera.





	in the stars, embracing

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Naemi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Naemi/gifts).



> Happy Yuletide, Naemi!
> 
> I took your love of Two's soft side, Five's hair, and Two/Android and came up with this. I hope you like it!
> 
> Thanks very much to Yulechat on IRC and Discord and to my local Yuletide write-in. You guys are great :)
> 
> And thank you to AlexSeanchai for the beta!

Two isn’t sure where she gets the idea, but one day while the _Raza_ ’s in seemingly-endless FTL, she sits down in front of her terminal and turns on the camera.

She clears her throat awkwardly, then starts.

“Uh—Captain’s log, day three of the trip to the former Ferrous Corp colonies. Systems are all stable, though we’re a little low on fuel. We have enough to get to the colonies and then to the nearest ‘station to refuel, but we’ll be cutting it close.”

She looks at the camera, a slight frown creasing her forehead. What else goes in a Captain’s log?

“Five and Android have been spending a lot of time together. Yesterday, Five braided Android’s hair into a complicated twisting pattern, so it spiraled all around her head. It looked—” Two abruptly cuts herself off.

“ _Anyway_ , they seem to be getting along. I think Five asked her for help with re-dyeing her hair last week. Or maybe Android offered.” She sighs. “I wish they had asked me to help, even if I was probably busy with something. I like spending time with them…”

She changes the subject.

“Three and Six have been cozy lately; I guess Three got over his hangups about the G.A. Every time I see them, they’re together—coming out of the training room, or hanging out in the mess. Everyone seems to be pairing up,” she says with a forced laugh.

She looks away from the camera, her eyes falling on one of Nyx’s ruffled jackets where it lies strewn across her sofa. Two hasn’t had the heart to move it, since.

“I miss her,” she admits, pain in her voice. “Less, every day, but still so much. I know that _she_ —Portia, Rebecca, whatever—lost so many people, but Nyx is the first one that _I_ remember losing. It hurts.” Two bites her lip and turns back to the camera.

“Log complete,” she says, and switches off the recording.

  
  
  
  
  


It’s several weeks before she gets the chance to make another recording. The intervening weeks have been full of near-misses with Ferrous destroyers, redirecting Traugott food shipments toward beleaguered former colonies instead of corporate strongholds, and covert resupply missions on ‘stations with lax security.

Two tells the log about these events in detail—she doesn’t know who will need these logs in the future, or for what purpose. She narrates up to that morning, then lets her breath out in a huff.

She looks to the side, debating. It would be good to talk this over, even if it’s with something that can’t talk back. Maybe that makes it better—no one to talk back means no one to tell And— _anyone else_ about what she’s said.

She takes a deep breath. She reminds herself that chances are, if someone else is watching these logs, both the Android and Two will be long gone. This is as safe as she’s going to get.

“I’ve been thinking about how…Nyx’s death…de-complicates things. Before, I felt like we were all three caught up in this tangled web of feelings; about our own humanity and about each other. Then Nyx and I sort of—fell into something, and we set aside the Android piece for a while.

“Before—” Two’s voice falters for a moment. She continues. “Before her death, we’d decided to talk to Android, tell her about our feelings for her and see if she felt the same. But there was never time, and now Nyx is dead, and I still feel all these _feelings_.” She lets out a frustrated huff.

“I grieve for Nyx, and at the same time, I look at Android and wonder what we could still have. Maybe it wouldn’t be as much, as solid, as if we were three, but I still want to try. That’s not so unreasonable, is it?”

She glances back at the camera and smiles, a wry twist of her lips.

“Not that you can talk back.” She sighs. “Maybe someday I’ll actually talk to Android about this. Until then, you’ll do fine.”

  
  
  
  
  


Over the next few months, Two uses the recording process to document her feelings in addition to the goings-on on the _Raza._ She’s almost comfortable enough with herself and her feelings to approach the Android; she thinks she needs about another week to psych herself up for it.

Her musings are interrupted by a knock on her quarters’ door.

“Two, may I come in?” Android calls.

Speak of the devil.

Two takes a deep breath then palms the door switch.

“Hey, Android,” she says with studied casualness. She leans a leg against her bed, awkwardly shoving her hands in her pockets. “What can I do for you?”

Android watches her for a moment, then tilts her head slightly.

“You may wish to sit down,” she says, voice revealing nothing but her standard politeness.

Two doesn’t like that sound of that.

“Uh, I’d rather stand,” she says, forcing a laugh. “What’s up?”

Android takes a moment to steady herself.

“I believe that I saw something that you did not intend for me to see. I was conducting my regular audit of the ship’s systems when I found them. I really didn’t mean to intrude, Two. I apologize.” Her eyes are wide with sincerity.

Two closes her eyes, a dull buzzing in her ears.

“Are you saying—” she tries, then cuts herself off as she hears her voice shake.

“I only watched the first one,” Android hastily adds. “As soon as I realized that the vids contained personal material, I stopped watching.” She pauses, as if unsure whether she should add anything, but— “I took the liberty of adding additional layers of encryption to the folder, so that no one else will stumble on them in the future.”

Two stays still, eyes squeezed shut, hoping that if she doesn’t move, she’ll open her eyes and discover that this was a dream.

“I miss her too,” Android says softly.

Two’s eyes snap open.

“What—?” she starts.

Android looks away, hands coming up to cup her own cheeks, as if to hide the blush that would spread across a human’s face.

“I miss Nyx,” Android repeats, still looking away from Two. “I always wondered—” She pauses, corrects herself. “I always _wished_ for a closer relationship with her.”

She takes a deep breath and meets Two’s eyes. “I still wish for a closer relationship with you.”

She lets her hands fall away from her face, still staring straight at Two. She takes a deep breath, seeming to brace herself for Two’s response.

Two is gaping at the Android. After a few seconds, Two realizes that Android is done talking, and tries to formulate a response. She starts to build possible replies in her head, discarding each one of them.

Finally, she clears her throat and asks, voice raspy, “You said you stopped watching after the first vid?”

Android nods, unsure of where Two is going with this line of questioning.

Two takes a deep breath, then pulls her hands out of her pockets. She forces her shoulders down from around her ears. Maybe this isn’t going to end in tears.

“I think you should see the others, before we discuss this any more,” Two says. She crosses over to her desk and keys up the pertinent clips.

“Sit down,” she says, gesturing toward the chair.

Android walks over cautiously, perching on the edge of the seat.

“Whenever you’re ready,” Two says and backs off to stand by the door.

They watch the vids in silence, the only sounds as they switch clips their own breathing, echoing in their ears.

When the last clip finishes, Two feels like she’s teetering on a precipice. Only Android’s reaction will decide whether she flies or falls.

Finally, Android turns around, eyes finding Two’s.

“Oh,” she breathes, gaze turning bright as she takes in the wrinkle between Two’s brows, and the way her shoulders have made their way back up to her ears.

Android stands suddenly, expression fierce. She crosses the room in three steps to sweep Two into her arms. Two huffs a breath of surprise, her arms coming up instinctively to cradle Android to her. Android presses her face to Two’s hair where it cascades over her neck, feeling Two relaxing more the longer they embrace.

Eventually, Two sighs and pulls back slightly. She looks at Android, who’s happy to note that the forehead wrinkle is gone, replaced by crinkles on either side of Two’s eyes.

“Should we talk about this?” Two asks, one corner of her mouth tucked up into a slightly self-deprecating smile.

Android tilts her head, beaming at her.

“Maybe after some kissing?” she asks, eyes twinkling.

Two inhales sharply and nods vigorously until their lips meet. They’ll have plenty of time to discuss the details later. Right now, their mouths are otherwise occupied.


End file.
